


Lillian Luthor, Accidental Matchmaker

by sunsetseas77



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: AU, F/F, Kara Danvers is Kara Zor-El but not Supergirl, Lena's pov, More a getting to know you cute, Not so much a meet-cute, for adult life and bits earlier, or spending time together cute, she isn’t against using her powers when needed, to the point where there may be an invitation, with some deeper sharing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-19 11:43:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20656682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsetseas77/pseuds/sunsetseas77
Summary: The glitch in Lena Luthor’s day raises three questions:why is her mother such a pain in the ass? (rhetorical);why is her dog so blatantly infatuated with her downstairs neighbor? (rhetorical);why is her downstairs neighbor spending time hanging out with Lena while she inwardly curses her mother and tries to get into her apartment? Is it just because of her dog? (answer needed)





	Lillian Luthor, Accidental Matchmaker

**Author's Note:**

> This was outlined early this year and you’ll notice clues this was supposed to be posted in early March. Many words about Kara and Lena in this one-shot inspired by a very short story from someone online about a drunk, buff neighbor who ‘hung out’ with them when they locked themselves out and kicked the door in frustration.

Bess almost lands her on the pavement just yards from their destination. Her dog should be lagging after a long walk along the beach and a lengthy game of fetch at the dog park. Instead she’s been maintaining the lead, but not pulling Lena still notes with pride, all through their local park and the adjoining streets.

Lena’s thoughts on her upcoming phone call are distracting her and she doesn’t notice the leash slacken when Bess halts to sniff that first tree trunk in their block’s parking strip. She just catches herself as her foot is knocked off course by an unexpected brush against the stopped furball of energy.

She rights herself with a sharp inhale rather than a smothered curse. It’s unlike their first months together not so long ago when, in such a situation, she would remind herself through close to gritted teeth that steady companionship was good for her and both training and self-awareness were her responsibilities. And then a look at her pup would loosen her jaw and rekindle her joy at her new-found status. Lena, a pro now, automatically checks that the leash isn’t tangled, flips her low, loose ponytail back over her shoulder, and continues walking. So does Bess, done with her quick check of the neighborhood and back in front again.

“Why aren’t you worn out?” Her affectionate, exasperated question brings brown eyes back to her before they return to the sidewalk ahead. The only answers are panting and continued forward momentum along the shady walk to their final destination.

“Home again,” Lena announces as they reach the bottom of the familiar concrete stoop for the split blue and white Victorian. “We need to get you more water.”

Bess yips at her then attacks the high steps with legs that are not quite scaled to them, tongue lolling out of her mouth. She reaches the top before Lena and makes an immediate right turn past the short white wall that encloses much of the stoop top.

The move gets Lena’s attention, and her angle as she climbs lets her see a blonde head peeking over the top. A bubbly cry of “Hi, Bess,” confirms the mostly hidden figure’s identity, followed by a happy bark and skittering claws.

Lena pats her hair, pinches a thin sheen of sweat off the bridge of her nose, and adjusts her glasses back into place as she reaches the platform.

She’s only occasionally spoken to her downstairs neighbor, Kara. It’s usually during a rushed passing and often about the cute creature Lena is off to walk or returning from walking. Bess always showily cultivates her months-long, love-at-first-sight relationship with Kara, excited and soliciting attention in her presence. The feeling’s mutual if Kara’s enthusiastic indulgence of her is any indicator.

Lena’s response to her neighbor of five months has been more restrained, but Kara’s left an impression. Lena’s noticed Kara’s frequent smiles, kind eyes, pretty face, and toned physique. She really couldn’t miss the last when Kara has a tendency to come back from the park with her roommate, Winn, her sister, Alex, and their friends, flinging a frisbee in a fitted tank top and yoga pants on the infrequent, sunny weekends when the marine layer doesn’t roll in.

Kara’s also captured Lena’s interest with the way she’s completely involved during their short conversations pre- or post-walk. She maintains eye contact and closely follows Lena’s words, all while rolling a fawning Bess around and rubbing her belly. Her engagement comes across as sincere, an uncommon and refreshing thing amidst Lena’s world of silver spoons and trust funds, high expectations and potentially ruthless personal competition.

Ultimately, Kara intrigues Lena. She doesn’t know much about her outside of those fleeting moments and the two times Lena frequented a downtown bar with her Luthor Corp mates and saw Kara there in a group. They talked briefly both times, and afterwards Lena certainly didn’t casually look over to check for clues that any of Kara’s party could be more than an acquaintance or friend to her. Just as she never mulls over what her relief at the lack of evidence of a romantic pairing thus far, and her 99% certainty that Winn and Kara share only friendship sans benefits, means. Clearly, Kara’s not on a much higher level than a stranger Lena’s told herself. A sweet, attractive, dog-loving, seemingly unattached almost stranger. So much imperfection that Lena just might have a crush.

The sight that greets her at the top of the steps meets her expectations. Bess is in Kara’s lap sitting on her rump while Kara holds her front paws with a grin and Bess licks a hand. It looks like she’s already scored a hit on Kara’s glasses. Kara’s hair is up in a bun and she’s wearing sandals, blue denim capris, and a faded rose shirt. A black bottle has been set under the incline of the back of her low camp chair, out of the immediate way of legs, feet, and paws.

“You are adorable,” Kara is opining to her dog as Lena arrives. She sets Bess’ legs down to let her turn to her owner.

“Hi, Lena,” Kara greets her, giggling as Bess’ tail thumps into her torso. She doesn’t even try to block it with those well-defined biceps and forearms that Lena will willingly admit she’s admired. After all, any objective individual would support her appreciation.

Lena couldn’t keep from smiling back if she was trying, which she isn’t. “Hi, Kara. Enjoying the day?”

“Yeah,” comes the bright response. “The sunlight has already passed by, but still a great afternoon to relax outside and feel how close Spring is.”

“Yes, it is. Would you mind…” Lena holds the red nylon leash out to her. Kara takes it and the slight brush of their hands raises a prickle on Lena’s arms. Luckily, they’re covered by a long sleeve shirt. “Thanks. I need to get her more water.”

Lena ducks her head to unzip and slide a hand into her small bag that holds a now-empty bottle, Bess’ ball and bowl, a hat, sunscreen, and her key.

Except her hand is running all around the bag and not finding the final item. She moves her other hand from the zipper to the edge to widen the opening, digging between objects with no success.

“Aaaahh,” she exclaims at the memory of her placing the key by the door and then being distracted by an important work text just before she laid her phone down and went out with a bouncing pooch. She didn’t pick up the key. She zips the bag back up in defeat.

“What is it?”

Lena looks over to see Bess sitting balanced at the edge of Kara’s thighs, watching her while Kara sips the black bottle, her face mirroring Bess’ attentiveness. 

Her answer is momentarily halted by what looks like smoke rising from the mouth of Kara’s drink to the level of her nose. The liquid must be very cold, and the weather is a little warm today, Lena thinks. She dismisses the sight and returns to the problem at hand.

“I got distracted earlier and left my key inside.”

“Oh.” Kara’s lips purse and a crease forms on her forehead. “Can I help?”

Lena shrugs, opening and searching the bag again, hoping to will a different reality. “Just irritated at my forgetfulness. I have a hidden key,” she allows, willpower thwarted.

Her head comes up and her eyes narrow as she re-focuses on her surroundings, slightly alarmed. She hadn’t meant to say that last out loud even if Bess has so far been a good judge of human character and is smitten with Kara.

Kara glances around, then at her. “Really?”

“Yes. But if you can forget I said anything about it, I’d appreciate it, it being hidden and all.”

“Sure,” Kara agrees. She removes her glasses to clean them of Bess’ greeting with the hem of her shirt and glances around again as she does so. For some reason her face morphs into a mixture of skeptical and concerned.

Looking over to Lena, she starts, “I don’t think…,” but trails off and puts her glasses back on.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Kara answers, with a shake of her head, looking sheepish.

Kara’s gaze slumps away at Lena’s continued observation. This is a more unfocused, more relaxed Kara than Lena’s seen before. She’s almost certain Kara’s feeling the influence of whatever’s in that unlabeled, opaque bottle.

It makes her feel less silly about her next words, believing Kara is likely to be agreeable. “Would you mind not looking for a minute?”

Without a word Kara obediently places one hand over her glasses while the other continues to scratch between Bess’ ears, the contact keeping her contentedly in place.

Lena moves to a corner. While facing the opposite wall, she uncovers the strongbox behind a small piece of siding that she pops out. She places a thumb over the bioscan and punches in a code, looking back when the box opens and reveals an empty compartment.

“Dammit, Mom!” Lena swears under her breath at the sight. Talk about lousy timing.

She recalls Lillian’s disgruntlement with the setup upon discovering it months ago. Lena used the spare in her presence after a grueling span of 18-hour days in the lab when she didn’t want to go back to retrieve a few items she’d left there, including her apartment key. Citing her positions as the building owner, a Luthor, and the mother of the Luthor tenant, Lillian spouted a verbal treatise at her about family assets, building security, self-discipline, and reputation. Lena still has no idea how the last concept was applicable under the circumstances, but overall Lillian effectively relayed her opinion. Lena promised to be more cautious and duly diligent and thought her mother placated.

With her discovery, Lena realizes that her sleep-deprived state during Lillian’s visit led her to mistakenly think Lillian returned the key when she left. She compounded her error by never verifying that before plunging back into a frantic work schedule that took her mind completely off of the disagreement. Lena made the wrong assumption.

She closes everything up and steps away. “All clear. Spare’s not there.”

“No?” Kara asks as she drops her hand, though she doesn’t sound surprised.

“No,” Lena affirms with a grimace. “No phone either. Left at home for mandatory downtime when walking Bess. Could I borrow yours? The handyman should be able to help and his is one of maybe five numbers I’ve memorized.”

“Sure.” Kara shifts to fish her cell out of a back pocket, keeping a hand on Bess to make sure she doesn’t tip her off. She hands the phone over after unlocking it. “Would you like me to get some water?”

“Yes, please.” Lena’s punching in the number, but she stops to give Kara a grateful look along with the travel bowl. A mark goes in the ‘considerate’ box of her mental ‘people with promise’ tally sheet that she’s never disclosed to anyone. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Kara says, already up and moving to her own door with a four-legged friend trotting alongside. “We have a sink right inside.”

The conversation does not have the hoped-for outcome given Gregor is three hours away, coming back to the city from a weekend outing. She knows he’d help her and, just as importantly for Lena, never mention it to her mother, his employer. She and Gregor bonded over upgrading the electrical and internet when she first moved into the building. Lena regularly asks after his family members and he gives her advice from years of training and loving his own dogs.

Kara and Bess are back outside and the water bowl is half-empty when she hangs up. Kara’s sitting on the concrete with her back against the wall, her hands resting in her lap, and her legs straight out in front of her, feet bare. Her head is tipped back, eyes closed. Bess is laying on her side next to her. Playtime has finally kicked in and the cooler concrete is a draw.

Lena paces aggressively around a few times to release frustrations about family members that go back to childhood. Bess lifts her head, but apparently unimpressed, lays it back down with a sigh. The movement prompts Kara to look over. Kara’s hand moves to nestle into Bess’ coat, but she does nothing further, as if waiting for Lena to get whatever she needs to out of her system.

“No help?” she asks conversationally when Lena comes to a halt.

“No. He’s too far away.” A deep sigh escapes as her hands settle on her hips and she considers the situation.

“I need to take a call on my cell in a little less than two hours,” she explains. “And I don’t want to have to call my mother to get back the key she secretly took.”

“Why did she do that?” Kara sounds genuinely confused. 

Lena wonders if Kara’s not used to this kind of duplicity in child-parent relations, raising further memories of prickly interactions with her mother. These combine with her feelings on her current situation and goad her to spout off a little.

“She doesn’t think people, and by people she means me,” she brings up a hand to tap her chest, “should need back-ups for things, like, say, a spare key. Do it right the first time, be flawless, stay sharp,” Lena’s voice unconsciously falls into mimicking her mother’s, with the bite that can underlie Lillian’s words, and she realizes it when she sees Kara’s eyebrows rise. She shakes her head at herself and reverts to her own pitch but with a steeliness to her tone, “A lot of lessons and I’m afraid I’m lagging on some. She cares about my safety, but it can feel secondary. I refuse to give her the satisfaction of letting her know her petty theft affects me in any way.”

Kara reflects on the answer, her eyes still with a wandering way about them before they snap back to Lena. “Your mom sounds intense. And, not to sound judgmental, maybe a little overbearing.”

Before Lena has a chance to formulate a reply to that comment, a grin grows on Kara’s face and her eyes shine behind her glasses.

“Hey, why don’t we break in?” Kara asks it with a frenetic edge that suggests she’s harboring an anticipatory thrill at the prospect of justified breaking and entering. Her expression borders on what Lena would term ‘giddy’.

Lena’s surprised how invigorating that look is. She may have to add a box for ‘potential for upbeat chaotic energy’ to her sheet. But first she has to resist the strong temptation to join in and instead curb her friend’s – or is it her dog’s friend’s – enthusiasm.

“For starters,” Lena ticks off one finger, sticking to the rational, “the front door is reinforced. And,” second finger rises, “my apartment being the second-floor unit makes window entry difficult.”

“I could…” Kara cuts in leaning towards Lena eagerly, but then seems to catch herself and falls back against the wall again, quiet.

“Scale the building?” Lena fills in for her gamely, playing along with Kara’s adventurous streak. “Too dangerous. But thank you for the offer. And” she ticks off a third finger, “the apartment is outfitted with an advanced security system with anti-drill precautions and magnetic components that also notifies the security company if it’s not disabled within a short period after an entry or attempted entry. My mother,” she pauses to let her point sink in, “gets a log of all notifications and calls for assistance”

“Okaaay,” Kara drawls out, nodding sagely before pausing to take a sip of her drink, “those would make it challenging…though not impossible. You can’t get in touch with your caller?”

“No. I don’t remember his private cell and have no way to get the number. It’s kind of a headhunter call, so I don’t want to tell anyone.” Lena tilts her head at Kara, an unspoken request in the look she’s giving this woman she’s confiding in for some reason. She’s certain it’s more than just because Kara is present. “I guess you’d be an exception to that.”

Kara’s left hand is moving through Bess’ fur to scritch her back when she returns Lena’s gaze. She slides her pressed-together right thumb and index finger across her lips in understanding.

“Thanks,” Lena acknowledges, eyes skirting away to the street below.

The reality is that the only people Lena could contact who may have the needed information are at Luthor Corp, and asking for the personal phone number of Jack Spheer, the founder and CEO of Spherical Industries and a former college classmate, would raise questions. And if it got out that he’s interested in partnering on a project with Lena Luthor independent of Luthor Corp – well, given some of her brother Lex’s business practices, Jack is taking a risk with this conversation. If he feels she’s ghosted the call, then an opportunity she didn’t fully realize she was looking for until it appeared will vanish.

Kara lets out a sudden, loud “Hey,” suggesting the appearance of a game-changing thought. It draws Lena back to the stoop.

“But what about your roommate?” Lena is caught off-guard at the word and Kara, seeing her reaction, fumbles further words, “Or, or, whoever she is.”

The unhelpful follow-up description still leaves Lena oblivious to whom Kara’s talking about, which must remain apparent on her face.

“The tall, dark-haired one who looks like a model and dresses like one too,” Kara continues hastily. She looks between her feet and Lena while adjusting her glasses with one hand as if she’s reading Lena as offended rather than puzzled.

“Veronica?” Lena’s tone should make puzzled clear. “She’s not really my roommate.”

For a second, Kara exudes disappointment at the explanation of what Veronica isn’t, and Lena can’t fathom the reason for that response.

“This is her crash pad, not her apartment,” Lena elaborates, waving towards her door. She’s not completely sure why she’s providing additional details except she doesn’t want to see Kara continue looking parts anxious and sad. “She usually stays here when she’s in the area, which was frequently right after you moved in. She’s a VR expert and tech companies clamor for her. We go way back, a friendship forged in boarding school. But she’s been spending more of her time in Asia, which is where she and my other spare key are.”

Kara becomes increasingly chipper the more Lena describes Veronica’s position in her life until she seems to realize the last sentence is not great for Lena’s situation and reverts to sympathy. “That’s too bad.”

Her next words, emphasized by bright blue eyes, swing back to chipper. 

“But this is fun,” Kara makes an encompassing sweep with her arm, “being locked out together.” Her shoulders and head shimmy back and forth slightly as she continues, “Or me hanging out with you while you’re locked out. We should do it more.” She tilts her head to the side as she looks over and points a finger at Lena. “I mean the hanging out not the getting locked out.”

The end of Kara’s ramble is punctuated by a rumbling snore from a wiped-out Bess, whose front legs kick out in dreamy sleep.

Kara’s eyes widen and she looks like she wishes she had Bess to duck behind at the incredulous look Lena sends her way that she just keeps from becoming a glare. Lena recognizes in that moment that she’s gotten a little too caught up in her own head and shouldn’t be directing a pissed-off air fostered by her mother at a congenial Kara. She blows out an exhale and lets tight shoulders slacken.

“I’m sorry,” Lena states, contrite, “I do appreciate your company. You’re making this much more tolerable and I’m over-reacting in a bad way.” 

She needs to step away and re-evaluate. Glancing around, she notices Kara’s drink sitting next to her, on the side opposite the snoozing pup.

“Could I try some of that?” Lena points to the bottle. “Maybe take the edge off.” 

What Kara says next surprises her given Kara’s been such a helper thus far.

“No,” Kara’s voice and face carry a hint of alarm, “you can’t touch that. Umm,” she clears her throat, “you have to build up a tolerance to it or it can make you really sick.”

Lena’s mouth starts to tighten but she blocks the reaction this time, staying calm. While Kara’s answer is bizarre, it comes across as if she’s actually worried about Lena’s health if she ingests the mystery drink. And, she reminds herself, Kara is likely a little loopy.

She plays it off for both of them, asking, “Like iocaine powder?”

The response is more in-line with her experience of her neighbor. A happy and frantic nodding at the pop culture reference accompanies an emphatic, “Exactly.”

Looking over at that beaming face, Lena’s struck again by the attractiveness of this woman though she hasn’t figured out where the oddness fits in that equation.

“That sounds toxic,” Lena says. “Best to stay safe.”

Kara scrambles up awkwardly while still somehow light on her feet, not disturbing Bess or her bottle.

“I can get you something else,” she offers.

Lena considers what's still to be done, the major problem literally in front of her. She turns down Kara’s offer, “No, thank you. I really should take care of this first.”

Kara sticks her hands in her front pockets and regards Lena while rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. Lena waits for whatever appears to be on her mind.

“I take it a locksmith won’t work,” she says.

Lena shakes her head even as she finds Kara’s suggestions endearing. She’s acting invested in the outcome here. “The system’s designed to confound conventional attempts. We’d have to miraculously locate a legitimate locksmith with a very colorful history to break us in before the alarm goes off.”

Kara’s face displays an obvious question, but she doesn’t voice it. Lena suspected that explanation might breed more questions and is ready with an answer.

“My family is big on security. And I can have sensitive corporate materials at home. It may be a touch paranoid, though I like to think of it as being properly prepared.”

Nodding and apparently satisfied, Kara resumes her seat at Bess’ side, looking down on her.

“Is she a corgi?” The question pops out as Kara rests a hand back on Bess’ coat. “Her legs seem long.”

“Her mother was a corgi rescue,” Lena replies, one part of her mind on Kara and the other on next steps. “She had a litter that was a mix. The corgi shines through in Bess except for the longer-than-average legs.”

The answer brings a wistful look to Kara’s face. “I like the rescue process, taking dogs in.”

The soft words cause Lena to turn her full attention to Kara. She senses that they echo some deeper meaning to the other woman. 

Lena nods in agreement. “Me too.”

They’re silent for a minute after that. Lena taps on her lip as she shifts back to fully thinking of options, of what she can improvise.

“I have an idea,” she says. “Could I borrow some things?”

“Of course,” Kara replies. “Anything you need that we have.”

“Can I start with a laptop?”

\--

Lena looks up from another dead-end when a shrill bike bell rises above the background hum of the sidewalk and street below. Her feeling of futility is growing with each failed attempt to find lock bypasses. She vents it by leaving the borrowed laptop on the top of the wall to go over and kick the door as hard as she can.

It of course does absolutely nothing to the reinforced structure. Lena smothers the cry that would reveal the painful sensation radiating through her foot from her rash action.

Kara had made herself in some way comfortable enough on the concrete to appear as if she was peacefully meditating, or dozing, during this time. Bess, awakened by the bell, disturbs her by trying to climb onto her legs. Alerted, Kara gets an unimpaired view of Lena’s performance.

She reacts to Lena’s kick with an appreciative call-out, “Wow! You generated more force than I would’ve expected.”

Lena recognizes an admiring gleam in Kara’s eyes. “Thank you, I think” she responds with a dip of the head, ignoring the ache and allowing herself a touch of preening.

“That’s better – the kicking must have helped,” Kara responds to Lena’s altered attitude and posture. “How about you take a short break from problem-solving? We could talk about something that doesn’t have to do with imminent deadlines for a few minutes?”

Kara’s suggestion is a good one, Lena knows from experience. She has a tendency when stuck on something to respond well to a change of topic. Letting her mind drift often triggers new ideas. She grabs the laptop and moves to the chair, the seating close enough that Lena can stretch her legs out until her sneakers brush the edge of Kara’s foot.

Noticing the fleeting contact, Kara smiles over at Lena as she settles in. Her expression turns to a good-natured frown when Bess leaves her lap to lay down by Lena. 

“Oh, I see how it is.”

Lena chuckles. “I wouldn’t be jealous. You’re the one that she’s always off like a shot to greet.”

Kara radiates the self-satisfaction this time as she stretches to give Bess a pat on the head. “She is my buddy.”

Bess’ tail agrees, whacking the ground, but she stays put.

“I’m not getting anywhere at the moment,” Lena looks down at the laptop and the tools next to the chair that Kara had available, “and taking my mind off it could help.”

Kara pulls her knees up and sips her drink. With a knowing smirk, she offers it to Lena.

Lena waves it off with a smirk back, stating, “I’ll heed your warning. Unless it dissolves metal and wood instantaneously.”

Kara actually contemplates the remark before she shakes her head, stating, “No, it doesn’t.”

“Too bad,” Lena responds. “That could have solved my immediate problem. I’d worry about door replacement afterwards.”

“This call sounds really important to you,” Kara says, her voice thoughtful. “What do you do? Or, what are you hoping to do?”

Lena raises an eyebrow, a drawn-out “Hmmm,” buying her time as she thinks through her answer.

“Well, I’m an engineer,” she starts, wanting to take the opportunity to share some personal information, which is unusual for her. Kara’s history of a consistently sincere and open approach with Lena is having an impact. “I double-majored in engineering and chemistry in college and almost minored in computer science; I was short one class but ready to be done. I really enjoyed the biomedical side of engineering and have a graduate degree in it as well as in biochemistry.”

She sees Kara prepare to speak and holds up a hand, saying lightly, “Please hold the nerd jokes until the end.”

“I was only going to say that’s impressive,” Kara says. “Did you go to school around here?”

Lena inclines her head in gratitude for the compliment and continues, “Yes, my degrees in biomedical engineering and biochemistry are from Cal. I did my undergraduate at MIT.”

Kara whistles long and low, causing Bess’ head to come up off her paws and look around. “Not you sweetie,” Kara says before returning to Lena to ask, “How about nerd jokes now?”

“Not yet,” Lena responds cheerfully, giving Bess a pat on the head as she rests back on her paws, “I have to answer your second question. At first, I worked in those fields at the company I’m at, but I’ve been doing more mechanical and electrical work in recent years. The CEO,” Lena purposefully avoids all mention of her connection to that position, “is moving us even more heavily into defense and surveillance, more big-money contracts. 

“I want to get back to bioengineering. I dreamed when I was a teenager that I’d make a major contribution to curing cancer. This call is from a rising company in cancer treatment. They’ve shared some of their experimental studies with me and the results are promising.”

Lena is surprised by how excited she sounds; she hasn’t felt so positive about work in years. The thought of her missing this opportunity sobers her and her voice drops, “I really don’t want to miss out on this.”

“We’ll get you in somehow,” Kara says with a determined expression and firm nod.

“That’s the right attitude,” Lena says gratefully and looks back down to the laptop, an idea coming to her. Her fingers fly across the keyboard as she starts a new process to look for possible workarounds.

“The one time when you wish a company was incompetent…,” she mutters.

With her idea put into action, Lena shifts in her seat to stroke Bess’ side.

“So, what about you?” she directs at Kara, who’s been watching her type away. Lena really wants to know more, which is both exhilarating and unsettling to her. “What do you want to do in life?”

“Well, I’ve been finding myself,” Kara’s hands come up to makes air quotes around the last two words, her gaze playing across the wall opposite her, “since I graduated six years ago. I was down the coast, at National City University, majoring in communications with minors in biology and science education. I wasn’t ready to jump into the typical job cycle when I finished.”

A small disgruntled sound breaks from Kara possibly at the idea of taking a rote job. She picks up the bottle in one hand, toying with it, and something unknowable flickers behind her eyes. 

Lena taps Kara’s foot with her own to get her attention and gives her a supportive smile, encouraging her to go on. Kara’s lips quirk up briefly in response before she goes back to gazing at the wall.

When I was through with school,” Kara continues, “I’d accomplished what family and friends had told me I needed to. But, I had a lot of processing to do of some things I’d gone through. I was looking for time and space to do that while earning a living. I ended up doing seasonal ranger work around the country. Mostly interpretation, which used my degrees, optimally with big doses of backcountry work that got me outside and provided solitude, time for reflection. I also did some search and rescue deployments that served up an occasional rush and would usually also make me feel super helpful because I turned out to be very good at it.”

“That decision you made for yourself, it sounds like it was a brave and healthy choice,” Lena comments. She gestures out at their urban setting. “But there’s not much backcountry or tranquility around here.”

“True,” Kara agrees. “I work over on the headlands and I can go off grid, except for the radio, about a quarter of the time.”

Kara’s face changes from introspective, lighting up with her next, fast-paced words, “I’m at a place now where I’ve gotten the time I needed, and I’ve set myself up to start a new phase. I have a job in the fall, developing STEM-focused education programs for local middle schools. And I’ll be using the communications degree free-lancing articles for science magazines and newspapers. I’m by my sister and some old friends. I’m excited and ready to be more settled.”

She looks back to Lena then and the passion she displayed subsides. Kara sinks into herself, a blush tinting her cheeks. “Sorry. That was probably more information and more exuberance than you wanted. I’ve spent too much time in the past years bonding over life journeys and problems around campfires and alcohol. Alex has warned me. She’s told me to look for the campfire before I ramble away.”

Kara’s reaction causes the exact opposite effect on Lena from what Kara thinks. Before she can overthink it, she’s rushes to tell Kara that.

She shakes her head and assures, “Well in this instance, Alex would be wrong. It's wonderful that you're in a good place. And, you listened to my family drama. I want to hear about you, whatever you want to share. I’m _interested_.”

Lena not overthinking means the words are instinctual, a deliberate inflection on the last word for potential double meaning. Lena wants to hear more about this woman in any capacity. Also, if Kara is able and wanting to translate it that way, she’s relaying an openness to a different type of connection as well.

As soon as the words are out, Lena blocks her usual tendency to panic about her more spontaneous choices in these situations and instead only gently chides herself for being a bit of a pushover for this lovely, buzzed, intriguing individual. She’s rarely this bold. There’s just something about Kara that projects warmth and instills confidence in her. The memory Lena has of explaining about Veronica also factors into her courage. She’s surmised that Kara’s face journey during Lena’s clarification makes sense if the interest here isn’t one-sided.

Kara starts to uncurl at Lena’s response. A second or two later her eyes crinkle and fall to her hands crossed over each other with one holding her phone in her lap. Lena hears a soft “Oh,” and sees Kara’s mouth twitch.

The sound of buses pulling away from a stop close to the Victorian’s steps has been with them for the entire time they’ve been outside, and a departure is currently audible. Kara’s screen appears to have indicated this one is different as she cocks her head to the side at the noise.

“Alex is here,” she announces.

Lena scrambles out of the chair at the news. Kara’s sister showing up certainly pulls her out of the zone Kara and she had taken a dive into while talking.

That’s a good thing, Lena thinks, checking the time herself. She still has a major problem. After that’s addressed, she can think about the unfortunate aspects of leaving their exchange where they did.

Bess, following Lena’s movement, stands beside her and Kara pushes herself up off the ground.

Lena’s never officially met the woman who appears on the stairs in black jeans and a leather jacket with sunglasses on, though she’s seen her and Kara’s mentioned her. Alex scans the three of them as she reaches the stoop and Lena takes a step forward, extending a hand to greet her, “Hi, I’m Lena.”

Alex pushes her sunglasses up on her head and takes the extended hand. “Alex.”

Alex’s look flows slowly between her and Kara before releasing Lena’s hand. Turning to her sister with a “Hi,”, her gaze narrows to a questioning squint when she glances at the bottle Kara’s holding and then up.

Lena just catches two fingers of Kara’s free hand by her leg rising in either a ‘V’ or an indication of ‘2’. Kara looks a little self-conscious but also recalcitrant, as if she’s challenging her sister on something.

When Kara notices Lena sideways glance at the interaction, she abandons whatever the message was and kneels next to Bess, giving her a gentle squeeze.

“I’ve been spending some time with Lena and with Bess, who’s the cutest. Right?” Kara’s all enthusiasm; it doesn’t even seem like she’s trying to re-direct. Bess is also, squirming happily with a little whine.

“Uh huh.” Alex nods, her enthusiasm level notably lower. She opens her arms. “Do I get a hug too?”

Kara bounds up and does just that with gusto, any issue between them no longer obvious.

Lena returns to her place by the wall, continuing with her next strategy, looking for a way to disrupt electricity to the system in order to deal with the magnets holding every way into her apartment closed.

She hears Alex telling Kara about her day followed by a brief, baffling discussion of brackets and basketball before Kara tells Alex that Lena is locked out with a time-sensitive need to get back in.

“Too bad I don’t have my lock-picking kit,” Alex says, drawing Lena’s attention with the curious declaration.

“Do you casually carry one of those around?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Alex responds, flipping her hands over and outward.

Kara answers Lena’s question. “She has it for work. She’s an FBI agent.”

Lena just catches Kara’s quiet yet firm aside, “So amazing.”

Alex must hear it clearly, standing next to her sister, and an automatic flick over familial embarrassment that she gives Kara’s shoulder reminds Lena of her own sibling interactions. Lena knows Kara is solid but thinks the strained look Alex gets as she massages the back of her hand after making minimal contact must be exaggerated. Especially as Alex is combining it with a mixture of fondness and sternness aimed at Kara.

“It wouldn’t work anyway,” Lena informs her.

“Why not?” Alex asks. “I’m rated excellent at breaking and entering.”

Lena runs through their circumstances, skimming lightly over the family piece of it. When she finishes, Alex gestures to the door. “I understand. But, could I help? I’d love to try to crack one of these devices.”

She is FBI, Lena thinks, which should mean she isn’t a con artist or weird plant that will use this against Lena later, and her pick comment suggests she has knowledge of what Lena’s trying to do. Alex’s employer may not approve of Lena’s methodology, but she could imagine Alex with a bit of a rebel vibe to her.

Lena glances down at her watch and back up. “You’re on,” she answers.

\--

Alex is smart with more deep web and backdoor savvy than Lena suspected she’d have. While not as adept with software, she still notes routes to investigate that supplement Lena’s approaches.

Kara observes their teamwork from back in her chair with the same pleased air that Bess has laying across her feet. She asks clarifying questions here and there, excusing her novice status with such things, but Lena notices that the questions somehow always seem to elucidate an important point for them to work on. Underestimating either Danvers likely is done at one's own risk.

But even with the time spent and innovative ideas, they still don’t have a way in. Alex is reading through some information on specifications and Lena’s adding to a diagram she’s drawing as she’s also reading along.

Lena hears Kara’s front door open and glances over.

“Hi, Winn,” Kara calls as he walks out onto the stoop, beer can in hand.

“Hi,” he answers. “You’ve been out here a while, and then Alex didn’t come in when expected, so I thought I’d see what was going on.” He leans against the wall and gives Lena a wave that she returns.

“Seems like the action’s out here,” he observes. “It’s deadly dull inside. James is still finishing half of his brackets and being so rigid about it. I was telling him to go with his gut, add some pizzazz.”

“And how did he take that advice?” Alex asks in a playful tone, her focus still on the screen.

“He rudely pointed out my last place finish three years running.”

“Thought so,” Alex says with an audible smirk. “You’re not that bad by chance.”

Winn shoots Alex a pout. She doesn’t look up, eliminating any possibility of an effect. “So, what’s happening out here?”

Lena finds this chatter of familiar friends a pleasant backdrop. Returning to her work, she taps Alex’s shoulder to gets her attention. Kara is explaining to Winn in the background.

Alex turns from the computer and the two trace through the schematic Lena’s created, Alex using the point of a screwdriver from the toolkit Kara had fetched. 

“That’s not going to work,” they both say simultaneously at a certain junction.

Lena’s hand tightens around the paper, balling it up. “If only we had more time, I know I could find a way,” she half-shouts at being stymied.

Alex is resting her cheek against her hand, looking from Lena’s work to the door to the time. “Not a lot of time left. Are you ready to try anything?” 

“Yes,” is Lena’s adamant, initial reply that she realizes she should temper. “Well, within reason.” She feels it’s very important to make that clear.

Alex hums in thought and gets up to walk to the door. She motions for Lena to join her. 

“Given we haven’t been able to find bypasses to use, cutting power is a final option. We haven’t found a way to do so without causing a major outage. The system does pull power from the general electrical. If we shut that down, I think I can disrupt the remaining current and not get electrocuted.”

“You think you won’t get electrocuted?” She looks from Alex to Kara, who is rising from her chair and smoothing her capris, wondering if they are both equally capable of ideas with potential for havoc. “I don’t think that would work.”

Alex shrugs. “But you’re willing to try?”

“Alex,” Kara’s voice holds a warning as she looms over Alex’s shoulder, suggesting she’s heard their conversation. 

Lena notices Winn stealing Kara’s chair. He looks like he’s settling in for a show. Bess has shifted with Kara’s departure and sits a few feet away from him, watching Lena.

Alex glances back at Kara. “Oh good. We need you to help.”

“What are you going to do?” Lena asks.

Kara’s eyebrows shift up and down with her answer, “Not sure but I came over at the electrocuted part.”

“She has freakishly acute hearing and should be able to tell when we break the lock, giving us a chance to get the door open before any back up can kick in,” Alex provides.

Kara rolls eyes that seem more focused than earlier at her sister. “That’s me, freakish.” Then she gives Lena a smile. “We’ll get this.”

Lena immediately feels more certain with Kara’s input, ignoring the fact she hasn’t given her any real reason to be. Because really this shouldn’t work.

“Go cut that power,” Alex directs. “When you come back, we’ll try it.”

“One second,” Lena responds, going over to give Bess, who’s sitting patiently, some quick, positive reinforcement in the form of scratches and encouraging words.

Behind her, the sisters are talking quietly together. Alex is stressing that they are trying to disrupt the EM field on the small-scale to knock out the magnetic components and they have to worry about the backup, as if Kara needs to fully comprehend each planned step rather than just listening.

“That’s how you want to do this?” Kara asks, as if she doesn’t think it’s that hard but wants to confirm with Alex. “I mean, I’m all in.”

“We can help this way, and it’s a contained setting so low risk,” Alex stresses.

Giving Bess a final pat, Lena heads to the garage. Her task is straightforward and easily accomplished, given all the work she did on the place with Gregor. She shouts to let them know as she exits.

Taking the stairs two at a time, she can see Alex pulling back from the door, shielding Kara who’s up against it. She senses a thrum but can’t see anything.

Kara moves forward with unexpected acceleration, pushing the door open. A part of the locking mechanism scrapes against the inner frame, taking pieces with it.

“Well done,” Winn cheers, his arms thrust into the air. Bess barks at his shout and wiggles, just barely staying in her spot.

As soon as the door is free, Kara turns back to Lena, talking rapidly, her delivery sounding almost prepared, “I’m sure that was Alex’s fault. We can pay for any damage.”

Lena, unbothered by the splintered frame, tries to shoulder past Kara to get to the keypad inside. It’s like trying to push aside a boulder until Kara suddenly becomes more pliant and shifts out of the way.

Lena hurries forward, but as she does so a memory from earlier in the day prompts her to look down. She just avoids tripping on an excited Bess who’s broken from her patient waiting and is making a beeline up the stairs.

“Thank god,” Lena exclaims to the sisters, who are standing next to each other outside the door when she returns to the stoop from punching numbers into the security keypad. She also grabbed her phone and key just to be safe. “And thank you so much.”

Kara still looks concerned and Lena attempts to banish it, “Please, Kara, don’t worry about the doorframe. The handyman’s stopping by later. My mother will end up paying under the guise of some miscellaneous maintenance, as she should. She took the key and it’s her fricking building that got damaged because of it.”

Kara’s expression goes from concerned to perplexed. “What?”

Lena’s heightened adrenaline with their success and her ‘defeat’ of Lillian may have taken her a little further than intended with that outburst.

She sees the searching look Winn shoots her way, and she knows he knows who owns the building.

She waits for it, the weird and often negative shift in how people view her when it all crystallizes. The realization washes across his face as he looks past the mussed hair, black-framed glasses instead of contacts, almost completely makeup-free face, black Keds, rust chinos, and worn dark brown long-sleeved top from a Hozier concert.

They’ve never seen her in-person as the Lena Luthor from Page 6 gossip – she hangs out in casual clothes on weekends and the few times she’s been seen on weekdays she’s attired to work in a laboratory. When she can’t avoid attending a swanky event, it’s because her mother, or her brother who’s flown in from Metropolis, or both are making her go. When that happens, she meets them and prepares at her mother’s penthouse, all riding together.

“Oh my god, you’re Lena Luthor, “Winn stands up from the chair as he says it, his voice rising in pitch on her last name as the pieces snap together. “That’s so cool! Where I work, we’ve based parts of our prosthetics interfaces on algorithms you’ve developed!”

“That’s me,” Lena admits. She certainly wasn’t expecting a fanboy response. It’s rare for her to get it despite all of her accomplishments.

“That explains the security system, but you’d think her dog would be more menacing,” Lena overhears Alex mumble to Kara. Lena’s heart warms when Kara quietly counters her sister with, “Bess is perfect.”

Winn continues, “I’m working in linguistics software now, but I also know some of your work on armoring materials from when I used to work with Alex. You’re incredible.” 

He’s looking at Lena with a geeky energy that makes her relax. She looks to Alex and Kara and finds no change in their friendly demeanor. This was such a better reaction than what could have been.

Alex whispers briefly to Kara and steps to Winn’s side.

“It’s been nice meeting you and working alongside a certifiable genius today, Lena. A real step up from some of my current and previous co-workers.” Alex gives Winn a soft bop on the nose as he reacts to her words with “Not nice!”

“Come on Mr. Starstruck,” Alex keeps her focus on Winn, ignoring Kara who seems to be trying to get her attention, “we need to get ready for tonight.”

Some unspoken conversation that’s unfathomable to outsiders seems to happen then among Winn, Alex, and Kara with Kara mostly looking wide-eyed and the other two glancing at Lena, canting their heads towards their front door, and staring at Kara.

This goes on for several seconds before Alex turns to Winn. “High probability of hopeless. I’m ready for a beer. Let’s go see how badly James is going to do this year.”

“Worried he’s going to repeat as champion?”

“Get real,” Alex replies as they both go through the door, jostling for position.

Lena watches them with a bemused expression before turning back to Kara, who picks up the bottle to twist her hands on as she glances around distractedly.

“I am really sorry about your door.”

“Kara,” Lena doesn’t think, just brushes two fingers across Kara’s wrist as she replies, “it’s not a problem.” She’s going to speak further but is stopped as Kara looks down at the contact and then back up with a decisive look on her face.

Kara gulps air, then words rush out, “A group of us are watching the First Four for March Madness in a few hours. We’re all in a pool together. Would you… I mean, I don’t know if you…,” Kara seems to find her mental footing and the stammering stops, “would you like to join us? Not for the pool, just to watch the games.”

“I don’t follow sports,” Lena hears the words come out automatically and sees Kara’s face fall. She groans internally at her fail and scrambles to reverse it, ignoring how off-brand this would be for her. “But if that’s still okay, yes, I’d like to join you.”

Kara’s face does a complete 180, shining at her answer. “Great! 6:00 then? We’re ordering pizza.”

Lena nods as she drops her hand away and grins at her neighbor who’s thankfully made a first move that Lena realizes she very much wanted. Who knows how long it would’ve taken Lena. 

“I’ll be there.”

Kara grins back. She glances down to where Bess has returned to the stoop and is pressing into her leg looking for attention. She bends down to accommodate, adding, “Bess is welcome, too. We’re dog-friendly.”

“Then we’ll be there.” Lena, still smiling, gives her leg a small slap and pushes the door open wider. She watches Bess back inside then returns the little wave Kara gives her before following. 

Closing the door behind them, Lena gives herself a couple of seconds to lean back against it, celebrating inside. She can’t recall ever being excited for a major sporting event in her life. She’ll gladly classify this as a ‘first-time-for-everything’. She could almost thank her mother for this except, no, she’s never going to do that. She pushes off and heads upstairs to take her call.

**Author's Note:**

> Secret powers are secret but Kara just wants to help.


End file.
